A revised draft UN Security Council resolution on the Sahara issue has eased some language found in an earlier version, but it preserves the key political elements that have sparked debate ahead of a scheduled vote on October 30.
The new draft continues to frame Morocco’s autonomy proposal as the sole basis for negotiating a political solition. It refers to “autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty” three times throughout the text. It also keeps provisions calling for a census of populations in the Tindouf camps and for consultations with Sahrawis outside the Algeria-based Polisario front.
One of the most notable changes is the proposed renaming of the UN peacekeeping mission from MINURSO to MINUSO, dropping the letter “R” that refers to a referendum, an outdated option that has proved to be unfeasable.
The latest draft still represents a significant diplomatic gain for Morocco because it retains the pillars of the original proposal despite dropping some parts waving action against Algeria and Polisario for lack of progress in three rounds of previous talks earlier this year.
